Copper Peptide AHK-Cu

AHK-Cu is a synthetic copper-bound tripeptide (alanine-histidine-lysine complexed with a copper ion), engineered mainly for hair and scalp products. It is the lesser-known sibling of the naturally occurring GHK-Cu copper peptide, designed to push hair follicles to keep growing. It acts as a carrier and signal for copper, involved in tissue repair, blood vessel growth and collagen remodeling. In hair, the proposed action centers on dermal papilla cells, keeping them alive and dividing longer by shifting the balance of survival proteins (more Bcl-2, less Bax) to reduce programmed cell death and extend the active growth phase.